Quenching apparatus and process



J. G. WEISS QUENCHING APPARATUS AND PROCESS Nov. 10, 1925- 3 Sheets-sheaf. 1

Filed April 29, 1921 ATTORNEY Nov. 10,1925 1.561.384

, ,1. 5. w E|ss QUENCHING APPARATUS AND PROCESS Filed April 29, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 [if 7. I v Fi -.10,

ATTORNEY Nov. 10, 1925 J. G. WEISS QUENCHING APPARATUS AND PROCESS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. ,.4. [7244244, %W %'60Mg ATTORNEY Filed April 29 Patented Nov. 10, 1925. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAY G. WEISS, F MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL MOTORS COR- PORATION, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

QUENCHING APPARATUSAND PROCESS.

Application filed April 29, 1921. Serial No. 465,522.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JAY-G. /VEISS, a Cllllv zen of. the United States, residing at 63 Underclifl Road, Montclair, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1I1 Quenching Apparatus and Processes, fully described and represented in the following specification, and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to a quenching apparatus and process for making hardened steel sleeves, such as are employed in the manufacture of roller-bearings to form'a cylindrical raceway upon a shaft or within the casing of the bearing.

Such sleeves when formed of steel are highly heated to harden them by quenching in a bath of cooling fluid, and when such sleeves are made of sections of tubing they retain their shape fairly well during the process of hardening and subsequent reheating to temper them to- Sleeves may, however, be'made more cheaply by forming each one of a flat blank, rolled upwith the ends of the blank in proximity, but such sleeves are not so capable of retaining a true cylindrical form when heated and quenched in the usual manner for hardening.

An object of the invention, therefore, is

to provide an improved apparatus and proc ess for hardening sleeves or the like without distortion.

-Another object is'to pro.- vide quenching'apparatus which will effect a more rapid and uniform quenching than can be secured by dipping work pieces into a bath. Another sleeves or the like during hardening and for quenching them immediately following their clamping.

- To these ends and also improve generally upon devices of the character indi- :In the illustrated construction, the heated sleeves are received and held against distortion by a cylindrical plugv or hubwhich projects upwardly from an apertured base able 0 amp sections which are preferably actuated by fluid pressure,

the desired point.

' apparatus is especially ada metal 0 object "is to provide im-' proved means for holding or clamping, 40

cated my invention consists inthe various, matters hereinafter described and clalmed.

with a lug d fitte Y and mechanism is provided for automatically causing the cooling fluid to flow soon as it is clamped.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus employed in practicing the process; the apparatus is shown in the position where the workpiece is clamped and quenched andwith the air valve turned to effect the unclamping and with the cooling' fluid turned off Fig. 2 is a plan of the leveling-ring; Fig. 3 is a section of a sleeve with a plug or hub inside of the same and an ejector discharging the sleeve; Fig. 4 is a plan of the machine with the sleeve-clamp ing devices omitted at the nearer half of the centerline; Fig. 5 is a 'planof-a blank to up 'over the sleeve as the same; Fig. 7 is an end view-of the sleeve formed by rolling the blank into a cylinder; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the sleeve thus rolled; Fig. 9 is a la -n of the clamping-ring"; Fig. 10 is an e ge view of the same; Fig. 11 is a plan of the clam sections; and Fig. 12 is an edge view of t e same. Fig. 18 is a plan of the plug or hub; and Fig. 14 a side view of the same with the shank and cross-bar ofthe ejector. The

mg a sleeve split on one si e. The development of a sleeve from the- ,blank is shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive.

Fig. 5 re resents the blank 9 out fromvsheet suitable thickness with tapering point it at one end and tapering notch i at' the opposite end and, as shown in Figure 8, there is-a space h between the rolled up ends of the blank. V i

The machine has a plate'a on the upper. end of a trunk or cylinder pwhich contains a supply of cooling fluid, the cylinder-p being mounted in a suitable tank to receive the overflow. The plate a supports the base 6 of a guide ,work piece and its clamping means and forms a treating chamber.

ted for hardenring bwhich surrounds the 4 Four quadrantal clamp-sections -c are,

shown inside the ide-ring,"each provided (l lo-play in a notch d in in the notches d by a. collar d? fixed to the guide ring I).

A plug orhub .is secured upon the base in the center of the guide-ring b, and the clamp-sections surround the hub at a suflino- I cient distance to insert the sleeve 6.-

The clamping-ring k is fitted to slide vertically upon the outside of the guidering I), and is beveled outwardly to fit corresponding slopes or bevels upon the outer ends of the lugs d. Each of the clamp sections 0 embraces one quadrant of the plug 7 and the lifting of the clampingring I: operates to press all the clamp sections radially inwards upon the sleeve 6 by the action of the bevels on the clamping ring and on the ends of the lugs 0?.

Longitudinal spiral grooves f are formed in the hub, leaving ridges f which contact with the inner side of the sleeve, and grooves c are formed longitudinally within the clamp-sections leaving ridges c to contact with the outer side'of the sleeve, see Fig.

. The base 6' 'has a surface to support the end of the sleeve e and is provided with holes or passages o communicating'with the cylinder 1). The cooling fluid is maintained at or near the level of-thepassages o in readiness for instant flow upwardly over the sleeve, the fluid traversing the grooves f and c'and overflowing into the tank. Holes .9 in the plug f also allow the fluid to rise up and flowv over the end of the sleeve. The passage of the fluid over the work piece insures a more rapid and uniform cooling thanwhen awork iece is merely dipped into a bath of una'gitated liquid.

Springs 6 are inserted between the clampsections to hold them normally expanded within the guide-ring b when inserting the sleeve, as shown in Fig. 4.

with a valve 9 inserted in the same, and op- The cylinder or trunk ;0 has a branch erated by'a lever r; The inlet to the valve issupplied with cooling fluid under sufcient pressure, so that when the valve is opened the fluid flows through the trunk and the passages 0 up into the grooves f and '0'.

, tends to open the valve f,

- A spring r attached -to the valve-lever 0" but a cord .9 is extended .from'the valve ver 1" to a crankarm 8' u on the spindle of the air-valve a, so that t evalve Q will be closed when the valve n is actuated to unclamp the work piece. a

The clamp-ring is raised by toggle-links Z actuated by connections to'the piston-rod m of a piston in an air-cylinder m; The movements of the piston and consequently of the toggle are governed by an air-valve n having a handle 72. for shifting the same. In Figure l the parts are shown in the position where the work piece has been clamped and uenched and with the valve,

' n actuated to a low the toggle to subsequently release the work piece. In this position of thevalve n and handle 72., the cord 8 pulls the lever r to the right to. close the valve g and cut off the supply of cooling fluid. When, however, the handle a is turned upwardly to open valve n and straighten the toggle, the cord .9 is slackened so that the spring 9 will open the valve Q and immediately throw a flood of quenching fluid upwardly through the passages 0 airl over the work piece. The lever r is alternately locked and released by a pivoted button T which is automatically actuated by a link .9 from the toggle.

The sleeve is heated in the furnace and dropped by suitable tongs overthe plug or hub, the top of which is tapered as shown in Figs. 1 and ll to facilitate the application of the sleeve, and the sleeve is pressed downwardly upon the base I) by a levelling-ring t jointed at the side of one clamp-section and movable by means of a handle f.

This ring is thrown entirely clear from the plug or hub prior to applying the sleeve thereto, and immediately pressed down- Ward upon the top of the sleeve, as shown in Fig. 1, to force it into close contact with the base 6 before the airsvalve is opened to operate the toggle and clamp the sleeve upon the hub.

When the sleeve is released by the bend-- ing of the toggle, an ejector v is actuated to push the sleeve upward for removal. The ejector is formed as a cross-bar fitted movably to a transverse slot at in the lower part of the hub f and is elevated by a rod w and hand-lever w, see Fig. 3.

The ends of the cross-bar project beyond the-sides of the hub beneath the sleeve and thus lift the. sleeve partially from the hub when the ejector is raised, so that the sleeve can be seized by tongs and removed. Holes :0 (see Fig. 1) are extended through the perimeter of the base 6 into the passages o,

and .corresponding holes w are extended .through the clamp-ring to register with the holes *3 when the clamp-ring'is lowered, thus discharging the oil from the entire interior of the clamping device down to the level of the holes 00. I

The cooling fluid remains at such level and is under such pressure upon the closing of" the valve 9 that the oil'flows immediately upward intothe grooves and perforations of the hub as soon asithe oil-valve is opened to chill the sleeve.

- Having thus set forth the nature of the invention what is claimed herein is:

'1. In a process for hardening steel. sleeves, heating the sleeve to the desired temperature, clamping the heated sleeves by pressure from clamping-sections upon numerous points upon the periphery of the nally channeled hub seated upon the said base and having av transverse slot in the lower part ofthe hub and extending up.

3. A means for hardening steel sleeves,

consisting of a trunk having a stationary perforated base mounted thereon, said trunk being provided with a branch and fluid supply-valve, a longitudinally channeled hub seated upon the said base its channels connecting with the perforations of the base, clamping sections fitted to clamp the sleeve upon the hub, and an air-cylinder, with connections to the .supply-valve and to the clamping sections for operating both simultaneously. I

4. A means tor'holdmg steel sleeves while hardening, consisting of a. channeled hub to fit within the sleeve, internally channeled sections sustained movably about the said hub, a base supporting the hub with a'guidering around the same, and a clamping-ring movable upon the guide-ring with beveled face fitted to press the sections upon the exterior of the sleeve.

5. A means for. securing a prompt flow of cooling fluid to a heated sleeve when clamped, consisting of a channeled hub to fit within the sleeve, a perforated base supporting such hub, clamping sections to press upon the outer side of the sleeve, a trunk below the base supplying the cooling fluid to the perforations of the base and the channels of the hub, the base having-overs flow' holes close to the bottom of the hub, whereby the oil is retained close to the bottom of the hub ready to be quickly dis charged thereto when required.

(S. A means for holding steel sleeves while hardening, consisting of a channeled hub to fit within the sleeve, internally channeled sections sustained movably about the hub and provided with beveled lugs, a base supporting the hub with a guide-ring around the channeled sections, and a clamping-ring fitted movably upon the guide-ring and having a beveled face to fit the'lugs upon the sections, and a means, as a piston in an a1rcylinder, for-exerting an elastic pressureto' move the clamping-ring against the beveled lugs, and thus-maintaining a continued pressure upon the clamping sections during the cooling of the sleeve.

In heat-treatingapparatus, a treatin H chamber, clamping devices therein, means for actuating said clamping devices, and, means actuated by 'said clamp;actuatingmeans at its limits of movement for'controlling the flow'of treating fluid to said 7 said valve for causing the treating fluid to flow over said work-piece; substantially as described.

9. In apparatus of the character de scribed, a stationary plug conforming to the interior surface of a sleeve to receive and hold it in a fixed position, means for maintaining a. supply of cooling fluid near the level of the sleeve, and means for raising the level of the fluid to cause a stream of cooling fluid to flow over said sleeve; substantially as described.

10. In apparatus of the character described, a stationary plug conforming to the interior surface of a sleeve to receive and hold it ina fixed position, means for maintaining a supply of coolingfluid near the level of the sleeve, means for pressingthe sleeve against the plug, and means for automatically causing a stream of cooling fluid to. flow over said sleeve when the latter is clamped; substantially as described.

11. In apparatus of the character described, a stationary base having fluid pas sages therein, a source of fluid supply supporting the base and having connection with the passages, a cylindrical plug extending upwardly from the base for receiving and holding a sleeve in a fixed position upon the base, and means for causing a stream of fluid to flow from said source of supply to said sleeve; substantially as described.

. 12. In apparatus of the character described, a stationary basehavingfluid passages therein and a surface to support the over the sleeve; substantially as described.

13. In apparatus of the character described, a base having fluid passages therein, means for maintaining a supply of cooling fluid near the level of the passages,

means including slidable clamp sections for clamping a sleeve in a fixed position upon the base, and a valve controlled by the op- I eration of the clamping means for causin a stream of cooling flu d to flow throu said passages and over said sleeve when t e latter is clamped substantially as described.

14. In apparatus of the character dey scribed, a. base having fluid passages there= in and a horizontal surface to support the end of a sleeve, a plurality of clamp sections movable against the exterior surtaee of said sleeve, means for operating said sec tions to clamp the sleeve in a fixed positron on the base, and means for causing a stream of cooling fluid to flow through said passages in the base and over the sleeve; substantially as described.

16. In apparatus of the -character described, a base having fluid passages therein and a surface to support the end of a sleeve, a plug on said base to hold the interior of the sleeve, means outside the sleeve to clamp itagainst the plug, and a fluid supply and a valve for causing a stream of cooling fluid to flow through said passages in the base and over the sleeve; substantially as described.

30 17. In apparatus of the character described, a base having a surface to support the end of a sleeve, a plurality of clamp sections radially movable over the base against the exterior surface of the sleeve, a guide ring fixed to the base, and means slidable on said guide ring for operating said sections to clamp the sleeve; substantially as described.

18. In apparatus of the character described, a base having a surface to support the end of a sleeve, a plurality of clamp sections radially movable over the base against the exterior surface of the sleeve, a guide ring fixed to the base, means slidable on said guide ring for operating said sections to clamp the sleeve, and fluid pressure operated mechanism for sliding said means; substantially as described.

19.In.,apparatus of the character described, a base to support the end of a sleeve, a plug to hold the interior surface of the sleeve, said plug having a transverse slot through its lower portion, and a cross bar slidable in said slot and arranged to engage the end of the sleeve to eject the' k latter from the plug; substantially as described. 

